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Crook County approves removal of six trees near courthouse foundation, awards $5,100 contract
Summary
The board approved removal of six cedar trees adjacent to the Crook County Courthouse, citing foundation stress and public-safety risk; a local contractor was awarded a $5,100 contract pending final paperwork.
The Crook County Board of Commissioners approved removal of six large cedar trees surrounding the Crook County Courthouse, citing root intrusion and the risk that leaning trees could damage the building’s foundation.
James Pierce, the county facilities director, told the board the trees are leaning away from the building and "it's causing stress on the foundation from the roots going back on the opposite side of the lean." He recommended removing four trees at the front of the building and two on the west side to protect the foundation and to reveal the courthouse’s architectural features.
Pierce presented a bid of $5,100 from Lindsay Land and Tree; a commissioner moved to award the contract to that local firm and the motion was seconded and approved. The historical society told the board the trees are not part of the original courthouse landscape and expressed no opposition to removal; the historical society supported the removal for the long-term integrity of the building.
Why it matters: Commissioners and facilities staff said the trees present a structural risk to the courthouse foundation and that removal will also allow restoration work and historic preservation efforts to proceed more easily.
Next steps: County facilities will execute the contract, remove the trees, and work with county communications staff to notify the public that the removals are part of courthouse preservation efforts and that the trees are not historic features of the site.
